Overview of the events of the 1540s in music
The decade of the 1540s in music (years 1540–1549) involved some significant events.
1540
4 April – Cristobal Morales leaves the position of master of the choristers at the Chapel of the Papal Basilica in St. Peter's, Rome
23 April – Thomas Tallis loses his job at Waltham Abbey due to the Dissolution of the Monasteries
27 April – Gioseffo Zarlino is elected capellini and mansionario of the Scuola di San Francesco in Chioggia
1 May – Ambrose Lupo is taken on as a musician and composer at the court of Henry VIII
30 December – Jacques Arcadelt is appointed maestro di cappella at the Sistine chapel in Rome
December – Nicolas Gombert dismissed from his position at the court chapel of the Emperor, Charles V
1541
25 May – Cristobal Morales re-joined the Papal choir at St. Peter's, Rome
15 July – Jacques Buus appointed second organist at the basilica of S Marco, Venice
1542
1543: Thomas Tallis becomes a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in England.
20 July Tielman Susato is granted a three-year privilege to print music in the Netherlands.
1544
1545
1 May Bartolomeo de Escobedo appointed maestro di cappella at the chapel of the Papal Basilica at St Peter's in Rome.
1 May Cristobal Morales was granted 10 months leave from the Papal Chapel in Rome. He never returned.
31 August Cristobal Morales succeeded Andres de Torrentes as maestro di capilla at Toledo Cathedral.
1547
6 May Waclaw of Szamotuly joined the Chapel Royal of Sigismund II Augustus of Poland in Vilnius.
28 May Jacques Arcadelt reappointed maestro di cappella at the Sistine chapel.
12 June Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina marries Lucrezia de Goris in his home town of Palestrina, Lazio
9 August Cristobal Morales leaves the position of maestro di cappella at Toledo Cathedral.
Bologna's first public theatre, the Teatro Della Sala, was opened. It burned down in 1623.
1548 François Roussel appointed maestro di cappella at St. Peter's, Rome
1549 Juan Francisco de Penalosa succeeded Francisca Sacedo as principal organist of Toledo Cathedral
Balint Bakfark appointed court lutenist to King Sigismund Augustus of Poland
Martin Agricola – Book of Protestant hymns Sangbuchlein , published in Wittenberg.
Jhan Gero – Il Primo Libro de Madrigali Italiani et Canzoni Francese a due voci (Venice: Antonio Gardano )
Nicolas Gombert
Second book of motets for five voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
Second book of motets for four voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
Giovanni Domenico da Nola – Canzone villanesche , books 1 and 2, for three voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
Giordano Passetto – Madrigali nuovi a voce pare , book 1 (Venice: Antonio Gardano )
Benedictus Appenzeller – Des Chansons a Quattre Parties (Antwerp: Henry Loys & Jehan de Buys), a collection of chansons for 4 voices
Jacques Arcadelt – First book of madrigals for three voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano), "together with some madrigals by Costanzo Festa along with twelve French chansons and six new motets"
Pierre Certon
Second book of motets for four voices (Paris: Pierre Attaingnant & Hubert Jullet)
Third book of motets for four voices (Paris: Pierre Attaingnant & Hubert Jullet)
Domenico Ferrabosco – First book of madrigals for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego – Regola rubertina , Venice
Johannes Lupi – Third book of motets for four voices (Paris: Pierre Attaingnant & Hubert Jullet), published posthumously
Cipriano de Rore – First book of madrigals a 5.
Jacques Arcadelt – Il Quinto Libro di Madrigali for 4 voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Paolo Aretino – Sacra responsoria (Venice: Gerolamo Scotto )
Jacquet de Berchem – "Ala Dolc'ombra de le Belle Frondi" published by Antonio Gardano in Venice.
Simon Boyleau – Motets for four voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
Francesco Corteccia – First book of madrigals for four voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
Cristóbal de Morales
First book of masses, for four and five voices (Rome: Valerio and Luigi Dorico)
Second book of masses, for four, five, and six voices (Rome: Valerio and Luigi Dorico)
Hans Neusidler – three books of lute music: Das erst Buch: ein newes Lautenbüchlein , Das ander Buch: ein new künstlich Lautten Buch , and Das dritt Buch: ein new künstlich Lauten Buch .
Georg Rhau – Newe Deudsche Geistliche Gesenge published in Wittemberg.
Cipriano de Rore – Il secondo libro de madrigali for 5 voices published in Venice.
Tielman Susato (ed.)
Third book of chansons, for four voices (Antwerp: Tielman Susato), contains only compositions by Thomas Crecquillon
Fifth book of chansons, for five and six voices (Antwerp: Tielman Susato), contains mostly compositions by Nicolas Gombert
Giovan Thomaso di Maio – Canzone villanesche a3 , book 1.
Giovanni Animuccia – First book of madrigals for 4, 5, and 6 voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano )
Loys Bourgeois – First book of four-part psalms (Lyon: Godfroy & Marcelin Beringen frères), published for the Calvinists of Geneva using the French translations by Clément Marot .
Jacques Buus – First book of ricercars for four voices or instruments (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Perissone Cambio – First book of madrigals for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano), also includes a few madrigals by Cipriano de Rore
Francesco Corteccia
New expanded edition of the first book of madrigals for four voices, including pieces composed for intermedii for the comedy Il furto by Francesco d'Ambra (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Second book of madrigals for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
First book of madrigals for five and six voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Claude Gervaise , ed. – Second book of dances for four instruments (Paris: Pierre Attaingnant)
Heinrich Glarean – Dodecachordon published in Basel.
Hoste da Reggio – First book of madrigals for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Hans Neusidler – Das erst Buch: ein newes Lautenbüchlein
Caspar Othmayr
Bicinia sacra (Nuremberg: Johann Berg and Ulrich Neuber)
Symbola for five voices (Nuremberg: Johann Berg and Ulrich Neuber), a collection of motets
Dominique Phinot – First book of motets for five voices (Lyon: Godefroy & Marcellin Beringen)
Enriquez de Valderrabano – Book of vihuela music Libra de musica de vihuela intitulado Silva de Sirenas published in Valladolid
Benedictus Appenzeller – A collection of sacred songs without a title (Augsburg: Philip Ulhart)
Arnold Caussin – First book of motets for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Heinrich Faber – Beginner's music textbook Compendium Musicae published in Nuremberg.
Didier Lupi Second
First book of spiritual chansons for four voices (Lyon: Beringen & Beringen), all texts by Guillaume Guéroult
Third Book, containing 35 chansons for four voices (Lyon: Beringen & Beringen)
Tugdual Menon – Madrigali d'amore for four voices (Ferrara: Giovanni de Buglhat & Antonio Hucher)[ 1]
Jan Nasco – Madrigals for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Dominique Phinot
Second book of motets for six, seven, and eight voices (Lyon: Godefroy & Marcellin Beringer)
First book of thirty-seven chansons (Lyon: Godefroy & Marcellin Beringer)
Second book containing thirty-six chansons (Lyon: Godefroy & Marcellin Beringer)
Francesco Portinaro – Primi frutti de motetti for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Cipriano de Rore – Il terzo libro de madrigali a cinque voci (Third Book of Madrigals for Five Voices) published in Venice.
Gasparo Alberti – First book of masses (Venice: Girolamo Scotto ), the first printed book of masses dedicated to a single Italian composer
Paolo Aretino – Libro primo delli madrigali cromati (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
Jacques Buus
Second book of ricercars (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
First book of Intabolatura d'organo di recercari (Venice: Antonio Gardano), a collection of ricercars in organ tablature
First book of motets for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Ghiselin Danckerts – Canons for four voices (Augsburg: Melchior Kriesstein)
Nicolao Dorati – First book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
Jhan Gero
Libro primo delli madrigali a quatro voci (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
Libro secondo delli madrigali a quatro voce (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
Claude Goudimel – book of chansons.
Clement Janequin – XXX chansons nouvelles
Didier Lupi Second – 30 Psalms for four voices (Lyon: Beringen & Beringen), French translations by Gilles D'Aurigny
Hans Neusidler – Das ander Buch: ein new künstlich Lauten Buch
Giovanni Domenico da Nola – First book of motets for five voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
Caspar Othmayr
Tricinia (Nuremberg: Johann Berg & Ulrich Neuber)
Reutterische unnd Jegerische Liedlein for four voices (Nuremberg: Johann Berg & Ulrich Neuber)
Robert Wedderburn (probable) – The Complaynt of Scotland , including the earliest known references (in Middle Scots ) to a number of Border ballads
Gioseffo Zarlino – Moduli motecta vulga noncupata liber primus – book of motets for 5 voices
date unknown – Giovanni Maria Artusi , Italian composer and theorist (d. 1613)
probable – William Byrd , English composer (d. 1623)
probable – Jakob Regnart , Franco-Flemish composer (d. 1599)
probable – Girolamo Dalla Casa , Italian composer, cornetist and writer (d. 1601)
probable – William Daman , Flemish recorder player, organist and composer (d. 1591)
probable – Giovanni Dragoni , Italian composer (d. 1598)
probable – Noel Fagnient, Flemish composer and shopkeeper (d. c. 1600)
probable – Johannes de Fossa, Flemish composer and choirmaster (d, 1603)
probable – Marcin Leopolita , Polish composer and musician (d. c. 1585)
probable – Francesco Rovigo , Italian composer and organist (d. 1597)
probable – Alexander Utendal , Flemish singer, composer and choirmaster (d. 1581)
probable – Matthaus Waissel , German lutenist, composer, Lutheran theologian, publisher, schoolteacher and writer (d. 1602)
Maddelena Casulana , Italian composer, lutenist and singer. First female composer of the period to have her music printed and published.
Ivo de Vento , Flemish composer and organist (d. 1575).
October 19 – Giovenale Ancina – Italian priest and composer (d. 1604)
probable
Gioseppe Caimo , Italian composer and organist (d. post 1584)
Luzzasco Luzzaschi , Ferrarese composer (d. 1607)
Lodovico Balbi , Italian composer, singer, choirmaster and Minorite friar (d. 1604)
Antoine Barbe II, Flemish organist and choirmaster (d. 1604)
Gioseppe Caimo , Italian composer and organist (d. 1584)
Bernardo Clavijo del Castillo , Spanish composer, organist, harpsichord player and teacher (d. 1626)
Anthony Holborne , English composer (d. 1602)
date unknown – Luca Bati , Italian composer (d. 1608)
1540: Francesco De Layolle , Italian composer and organist (b. 1492)
1541:
1542: Lodovico Fogliano, theorist and composer (c. 66)
1543: probable
Avery Burton, composer (c.73) died in England
1544:
1545: April 10 – Constanzo Festa , Italian composer (b. c.1485–1490)
1546: October 18 – John Taverner , English composer (b. c. 1490)
1547: October or November – John Redford , English composer, poet and playwright (b. c. 1500)
1548: June 14 – Elzéar Genet de Carpentras , French composer (b. c. 1470)
January 23 – Bernardo Pisano , Italian composer and singer (b. 1490).
April 10 – Giacomo Fogliano , Italian composer, organist and teacher (b. c. 1468)
August 16 – Georg Rhau , printer, publisher and composer, died in Wittenberg (b. 1488)
October 21 – Sixt Dietrich, composer and teacher, died in St Gallen, Switzerland (c. 55)
Vincenzo Capirola , lutenist and composer, died in Brescia (b. 1474).
1549: Richard Pygott, English composer and choirmaster